Haute Crafty Creations: 2012

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Beans and Ham Recipe – Texas Style

I always wanted to learn how to cook some mean beans and ham. My Mom makes the absolute BEST! So of course, I went to her. With her help, I came up with my own version. The ingredients and instructions are below. I don’t think they will ever be as good as Mom’s. However, they turned out delish!

HAM Ingredients:

8 – 10lb bone-in ham

1 Tablespoon of yellow mustard seeds or ground mustard

¼ - ½ cup of honey

3 or 4 garlic cloves (minced) or 2 Tablespoons minced garlic from jar

1 Tablespoon onion powder

PINTO BEAN Ingredients:

32 oz. bag of pinto beans

1 large carton of chicken broth

1 large carton of beef broth

2 Tablespoons of chili powder

2 Tablespoons of packed light brown sugar

4 garlic cloves (minced) or 2 Tablespoons minced garlic from jar

1 onion

1 jalapeno

pepper

sea salt

CORNBREAD Ingredients:

2 packages of yellow cornbread mix (requires 2 eggs and 1 1/3 cup of milk)

¼ cup sugar

cooking oil spray

(Also see my Mom’s cornbread recipe below for more ingredient options)

First, prep the pinto beans. You will need to sort through them for rocks and bad beans. Wash them and then soak them in a large cooking pot of water overnight. Make sure the water is at least 3 to 4 inches above the beans.

Next, prepare the ham in a crock pot. It only takes 4 hours and turns out juicier than in the oven. Throw the ham in your crock pot with the large side down first. Trim off as much of the top as needed to fit the lid on the crock pot. Save the excess ham for other recipes. The ham is pre-cooked so no worries. I ended up with a few good chunks for omelets, salads, etc. Just dice it and eat it up!

Add the spices to your ham: 1 Tablespoon of Yellow mustard seeds or ground mustard, ¼ - ½ cup of honey, 3 or 4 garlic cloves (minced) or 2 Tablespoons minced garlic from jar and 1 Tablespoon onion powder. . I just pour it all over the top. Cook on low for four hours. After 2 hours, glaze the ham real well with the glaze in the bottom of the crock pot.

Let the ham cool. Slice the ham for sandwiches, etc. Reserve the ham bone, fats and ham chunks for the pinto beans.

When the ham is done, begin preparing the pinto beans. Drain and rinse the beans. Clean your cooking pot. Add the beans back to the large cooking pot. Begin adding all of the bean ingredients, except the sea salt: 1 large carton of chicken broth, 1 large carton of beef broth, 2 Tablespoons of chili powder, 2 Tablespoons of packed light brown sugar, 4 garlic cloves (minced) or 2 Tablespoons minced garlic from jar, 1 onion (diced), 1 jalapeno (diced with or without seeds) and pepper (to taste). Add the reserved ham bone, fats and ham chunks with any additional water needed to completely cover the beans approximately 2 inches over the top. Begin cooking the beans on high until they reach a rolling boil. I let them boil about 10 minutes, then turn it down to low, cover with a lid and simmer for the remaining 3 hours cooking time. Stir every 30 minutes and make sure you do not need to add any more water.

When the beans are ready, carefully remove the ham bone. If there is any remaining ham on the bone, remove it and put it back in the beans. All of the ham fell right off the bone when I picked it up. I also removed any excess fat floating on the top, shredded the ham chunks and pieces and stirred it all up.

To save time, begin making the cornbread thirty minutes before the beans are ready. Per my Mom, Aunt Jamima Yellow Corn Bread Meal (use recipe on the back and add 6 Tablespoons of sugar, 1 Tablespoon chili powder and /or diced jalapeno) is better. However, I had two packages of yellow corn bread mix. Prepared as instructed with ¼ cup of sugar added, it was delicious. Be sure to oil and preheat your skillet or baking pan for 10 minutes. It makes a world of difference.

With the food all prepared, I did not waste any time. Sat my butt down (at 4am) and ate a huge bowl before I started cleaning up and putting things away. LOL A true Southern girl, I LOVE beans and ham! ENJOY :)

If you are more interested in crafty ideas, please feel free to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter for creative ideas, projects and tips.

~ Christi T
May God bless the work of your hands! :)

Crafty creations, projects and tips for everyday needs, gifts, decorating, do it yourself projects, party planning, cooking and more valuable resources and information are free online. I love to share my crafty finds with you. For more free resources and tips follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter.

My website is www.ShopChristi.com. Check it out!

God Bless You! :)

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Saturday, October 13, 2012

Firewood to Garden Decor Project

Funny how a piece of firewood can turn into a creative project. While feeding my cat in the backyard, I saw a perfectly shaped piece of firewood. The hubby keeps a stack ready to go. I simply could not resist. The creative ideas were flowing. I grabbed the piece of firewood and started my next craft adventure.

The first step is to make sure the wood is dry and bug free. This piece was left out to dry on the back porch, inspected and then brought in for painting.

I painted two wood crosses and the wood letters white for some pop. The popsicle sticks were painted burgundy and then split in half to make the fence. A couple of popsicle sticks glued to the back will hold it together nicely. For this project, Elmer's Wood Glue Max worked very well.

After everything was dry, I added rocks to the bottom of the fence. A couple of little white bows added to the corners and the fence was complete. It was glued to the bottom on the front. Next, I added large rocks to both sides at the bottom of the firewood.

Burgundy paint on top helped to tie the colors together. In at attempt to show more of the color, I painted a drizzle look around the edges.

Medium size rocks were used to decorate the white crosses. I glued the crosses near the top on each side.

A little, burgundy bling bling was added to the wooden letters for some sparkle. The letters were glued to the front, vertically, and it was finished.

Firewood to Garden Decor Project supplies list:

1 piece of firewood (stands up well)
Elmer's Wood Glue Max
Popsicle sticks
2 small wood crosses
wood letters
small, medium and large decorative rocks
2 bows
small bling bling
paint

If you are more interested in crafty ideas, please feel free to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter for creative ideas, projects and tips.

~ Christi T :)
Putting God first everyday in every way!

Crafty creations, projects and tips for everyday needs, gifts, decorating, do it yourself projects, party planning, cooking and more valuable resources and information are free online. I love to share my crafty finds with you. For more free resources and tips follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter.

My website is www.ShopChristi.com. Check it out!

May God Bless the Work of Your Hands! :)

www.ShopChristi.com | Promote Your Page Too

CraftsPerhaps | Promote Your Page Too

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Add Bling Bling To Your Favorite Denim Pieces - It Is EASY!

Bling, Bling and more Bling

It is simple to add bling to your favorite denim pieces. I started with my old, worn out Levi overall shorts and my favorite pair of jeans.

The bling is added with fabric glue. Fabric glue is a MUST when adding bling bling to any type of fabric.

First, I added bling to my favorite pair of jeans. The jeans fit great but were lacking in sparkle department.

The bling adds a special, sparkling touch to my old, worn out jean.

Next, I worked on adding bling to my old, fave overall shorts. They have to be over 17 years old and counting. (Levi's live up to their name brand!)

My beautiful, niece gave me the idea. I showed her the bling jeans and she instantly states she wants to do that to her overalls. Well of course, my head is swimming with ideas now!

It was only a few days later, I began adding bling to my overalls.

I want to wear both pieces with many different colors so I kept to a clear/silver bling bling color. Although, you could certainly go with just about any color bling.

Once your project is complete. Be sure to wash the bling bling denim or fabric items inside out on delicate and hang dry. This will help keep the bling intact longer.

If you are interested in more crafty ideas, please feel free to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter for creative ideas, projects and tips.

~ Christi T :)
Putting God first everyday in every way!

My website is www.ShopChristi.com. Check it out!

God Bless You! :)

www.ShopChristi.com | Promote Your Page Too

CraftsPerhaps | Promote Your Page Too

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Bling Bling Winter Jacket Project

The bling bling winter jacket project began when I found this plain black coat and hot pink coat on sale for 75% off. No joke! Paid $10 total for both!

The plain appearance is no problem. With some crafty embellishments and bling bling, it will be jazzed up in no time.

First, I created the fabric and denim patches.

Once the patches were complete and glued together, I added them to the jacket with fabric glue. The bling bling was added after the glue dried. I find it much easier to add the bling after the patches are glued onto the project. If added before, gluing down the fabric patches is harder. The fabric is not as flexible.

Lastly, I added some extra bling around the pockets.

Working on one side at a time and allowing it time to dry over night, the project took a few days to complete. The total cost for both jackets with embellishments less than $15!!!

Now, it is time to finish the hot pink jacket. I cannot wait to wear this one. However, in Texas, it may be a little longer before I need it.

If you are more interested in crafty ideas, please feel free to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter for creative ideas, projects and tips.

~ Christi T :)
Putting God first everyday in every way!

Crafty creations, projects and tips for everyday needs, gifts, decorating, do it yourself projects, party planning, cooking and more valuable resources and information are free online. I love to share my crafty finds with you. For more free resources and tips follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and/or Twitter.

My website is www.ShopChristi.com. Check it out!

God Bless You! :)

www.ShopChristi.com | Promote Your Page Too

CraftsPerhaps | Promote Your Page Too

Momma's Bling Bling Football Hat

Oh yes, it is time for football! As a football lover myself, I was super excited when my youngest son decided to play flag football this year. He is definitely built for football. Always one of the tallest kid's in his class, as well as towering over older brother, he is definitely built to play football! Football coaches began approaching me when he was only 4 years old. They wanted him to play on their teams. But, Oh No! Momma was not ready to let him go just yet!

However, as you know, our children keep growing whether we want them to or not. When he expressed interest in playing flag football, it was time to give in. I can handle beginning with flag football... I think. LOL

My youngest boo boo is very, very social. He loves any activity or sport where he can talk and play with other kids. With this in mind, I realize he will probably be more interested in talking and playing around than actually focusing on the football.

He played soccer for one season and was a total HAM!!! He loves attention, any attention. Instead of running down the field, he would prance down the field waving at family and friends, not paying one bit of attention to the ball... LOL!!! Gotta love him though. He is just too cute.

I decided I needed a hat for his games. Simply must let everyone know I am his Momma. Whether he turns out to be the team clown or not, he is MINE and I am very PROUD of him regardless! He is so full of loving and kindness.

Time to get to work...

Supplies included a black baseball hat, fabric patches, foam letters, foam cutouts, foam stickers, fabric glue and bling bling.

The fabric pieces tend to be the hardest part. Make sure you have super sharp, fabric scissors for cutting the detailed corners, curves and edges of the fabric patches. Otherwise, many fabrics will begin to shred.

I highly recommend adding a patch type backing to your fabric before adding it to your crafty creation. The patch bonding adds an extra layer and helps to hold the shape. Plus it prevents fabric shredding.

Heat n Bond Lite Iron-On Adhesive is my fave! I usually purchase the 5 ¼ yards package due the cost savings. However, there is a smaller package available for smaller jobs.

After the patches are finished, it is time to begin decorating the hat itself. Fabric glue is the key to making sure your fabric, foam and bling pieces stay put. Tacky glue or crafts glue is just not strong enough for washing, etc.